Ann Elizabeth Ward (1854 - 1934)

Born 16 Jan 1854 in Toronto Gore Township, Peel County, Canada West

Ancestors

Wife of Thomas Nix — married 3 Nov 1880 in Woodhill, Toronto Gore Township, Peel County, Ontario, Canada

Descendants

Died 22 Feb 1934 at age 80 in Grahamsville, Toronto Gore, Peel County, Ontario, Canada

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Fred Nix [send private message]

Biography

Ann Elizabeth is born in Toronto Gore Township, Peel County, Canada West on January 16, 1854, and baptised on March 26, 1855 [1][2]. Her parents are Thomas Ward (1825-1896) and Mary Ann Woodill (1834-?). Both parents were also born in Toronto Gore. The township was eventually split with the southern part going to the city of Mississauga and the northern part going to the city of Brampton.

She is in the 1861 census, at the age of seven, living with her family in Toronto Gore [3]. And she is still there as a 17-year-old in the 1871 census [4]. Her father, Thomas Ward, buys a farm in Concession 7, lot 5, at some point either before or after Ann Elizabeth was born. In today's geography this is the southeast corner of Airport Road and Queen Street (the old Highway #7) in Brampton. We think he buys the farm from his father-in-law, Robert Woodill. This is where Ann Elizabeth grows up. This intersection (Airport Road and Queen Street) will become the village of Woodhill (a mis-spelling of “Woodill”).

On November 3, 1880, Ann Elizabeth marries Thomas Nix (1850-1933) [5]. The wedding is in the home of Ann Elizabeth’s parents [11].

Ann and Thomas have the following children:

• Etta Melissa Nix 1881-1959 + (1908) Robert Wright 1874-1961

• Wilbert Jerald Nix 1891-1989 + (1916) Violet May Lansdell 1892-1976

• Oscar James Ward Nix 1895-? + (1) (1924) Lottie Louisa Steele c1903-1970 + (2) Unknown Maw

• 4th child died in infancy.

For the first 15 years of their marriage, Ann Elizabeth and Thomas live in Stanley’s Mills. Stanley’s Mills is a village on the 6th line of Toronto Gore (the future Airport Road) with part of the village in Chinguacousy Township and part in Toronto Gore Township. “Stanley’s Mills” is the original spelling but most maps and other records show it as “Stanley Mills.” . In today’s geography, Stanley’s Mills was located about where Sandalwood Parkway and Humberwest Parkway meet at Airport Road.

The 1881 census records show Ann and Thomas living on their farm in Chinguacousy and it shows their religion as Primitive Methodist [6]. Ann had been brought up in a family of Primitive Methodists and she took this faith with her into the marriage. In the 1891 census records, Ann and Thomas are living in Toronto Gore with their first child [7]. They still live in Stanley’s Mills but they have moved from the west side of the 6th line (Airport Road) to the east side. Thomas is now a tenant farmer on a 160-acre farm in Toronto Gore.

In 1896, Thomas buys a 100-acre farm in Grahamsville, Toronto Gore. The farm is on the east side of the 6th line (Airport Road) – Concession 7, the northern half of lot 14 of the Southern Division of Toronto Gore. Grahamsville is a village at the intersection of what is now Steeles Avenue and Airport Road in the city of Brampton. His brother, James Nix, is a tenant farmer on the farm immediately to the east of the farm where Ann and Thomas live.

In the 1901 census records, Ann and Thomas are shown living on their farm with their three children – 18-year old Etta, 8-year old Wilbert and the 6-year old Oscar [8]. By the time of the 1911 census, there are only two children left at home – Wilbert and Oscar [9]. In addition to the children, the family has a domestic living with them to help Ann with the cooking and other household chores.

Thomas retires from farming at some point and moves to a small house in Malton. The house is about half a kilometre north of the intersection of Derry Road and Airport Road, on the west side of Airport Road. In the 1921 census records, Ann and Thomas are living in Toronto Township (Malton) [10].

In March 1930, Ann and Thomas celebrate their golden wedding anniversary [11]. “Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Nix, a highly respected couple of Malton, quietly celebrated their golden wedding last night at their home in this village, where Mr. Nix has been living retired, after a long life spent actively on the farm.”

In the 1931 census records, Thomas is shown as 80 years old, and Ann Elizabeth is shown at 77 [12]. They are living in Malton. Thomas dies in late 1933 and is buried in Riverside Cemetery (Dixon & Royal York Roads, Toronto).

Ann Elizabeth dies on February 23, 1934, at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Robert Wright in Grahamsville [13]. She is 80 years old, and she is buried in the Riverside Cemetery beside Thomas

Can you add any information on Ann Ward? Please help grow her WikiTree profile. Everything you see here is a collaborative work-in-progress.

Sources

[1] Birth & baptism dates: Trinity (formerly Methodist) United Church, Malton, Peel County, Ontario, Baptisms 1844-1925, Marriages 1858-1925, Burials 1912-1925 obtained at the Peel Heritage Complex

[2] There is uncertainty about her first name. In the marriage record, she is listed as “Elizabeth Ward”. In other records, she is noted as “Annie Elizabeth Ward,” and, in others (eg, marriage record for Wilbert Nix & Violet Lansdell and her cemetery stone) she is listed as “Elizabeth Ann”, and in still other (two census records) she is shown as Ann Elizabeth or Ann E. Her own 1880 bible, given to her by her parents, refers to her as "Ann Elizabeth."

[3] 1861 personal census, Ontario, Township of the Gore of Toronto, pg 2 (maybe 11), lines 7- Thomas Ward (35), farmer, born U. Canada; Mary Ann Ward (27); George William Ward (looks like “19” but is known to be “9”); Ann Elizabeth (7); John F. Ward (5); John Ward (18), labourer; John Young (40), born England, labourer; Elizabeth (?) Dinkall or Doinkall (17), servant. The family is P. Methodist [Primitive Methodist], except for John Young who is Church of England. They live in a 1.5 story frame house. The labourer, John Ward, is probably a nephew?

[4] 1871 census, Ontario, 39, Peel, Toronto Gore, pg 28, household 92, Thomas Ward (44), born Ontario, farmer; Mary Ann (36), born Ontario; George W. (18); Ann E. (17); John F. (15); Serena M. (9); Amelia L., (7); Idia A. (5); Julia H. (3); Clara M. (5 months). The family is labelled English and their religion is Primitive Methodist.

[5] http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com . . . "8822-80 Thomas NIX, 28, farmer, England, Chinguacousy twp., s/o William & Elizabeth, married Elizabeth WARD, 26, Canada, Toronto Gore twp., d/o Thomas & Mary Ann, witn: Robert WARD & Mary Ann NIX, both of Toronto Gore, 3 Nov 1880 at Toronto Gore"

[6] 1881 census, Ontario, 140 Peel, Chinguacousy, pg 18-19, household #83: Thomas Nix (27), born England, farmer; Ann Elizabeth (27), born O [Ontario]. The religion is shown as P. Meth [Primitive Methodist].

[7] 1891 census, Ontario, 106 Peel, Toronto Gore, pg 11, household #46: Thomas Nix [both the collectionscanada and familysearch search engines translate the name as “Thamas Nise”] (38), born England, farmer; Ann Elizabeth (36); Etta Mallisa (10); John Write (30), domestic. All household members are Methodists. Thomas employs an average of 2 people during the year.

[8] 1901 census, Ontario, 103 Peel, Toronto Gore, pg 9, household #80: Thomas Nix (47), born in England in [?difficult to read, possibly 25 Oct] 1853, farmer; Hanna E. (46), born 15 (? Or 16) Jan 1854; Etta M (18), born 18 May 1882; Wilbert (8), born 18 Aug 1892, in school; Oscar (6), born .20 Jan 1895, in school. Hanna E [Ann Elizabeth] and the children were all born in Ontario. The family is labelled English and their religion is shown as Methodist. The handwriting on the census record is difficult to read. The automatedgenealogy.com web site transcribes the surname as “Hess” and the collectionscanada search engine reads the surname as “Nice.” The census record shows that Thomas Nix immigrated to Canada in 1889 [he came in 1852]. Also, his actual birth date is Oct 11, 1850. Finally, the name of Thomas’ wife is Ann (sometimes Annie) Elizabeth Ward, not the “Hanna” that is shown in the census record. The next family in the census record is William & Emma Wright. They have a 26-yr old son, Robert Wright. Robert will marry Etta Melissa Nix at some point [date unknown].

[9] 1911 census, Ontario, 109 Peel, Toronto Gore, pg 7, household #73: Thomas Nix (60), born Oct 1850, farmer; Elizabeth (57), born Jan 1854; Wilbert (19), born Aug 1891, labourer, works an average of 72 hrs./week; Oscar (16), born Jan 1895, labourer, works an average of 60 hrs/week; Amelia Parsons (40), born Feb 1871, domestic; George R. Parsons (6), born March 1905, lodger. All household members with the surname Nix were born in O [Ontario] [Thomas was born in England]. The Parsons were born in England and had immigrated to Canada in 1911. The farm in located in Con 7, lot 14 S.D. [Southern Division], The Nix family is Methodist; the Parsons are Anglican.

[10] 1921 census, Ontario, 115 Peel, Township of Toronto, pg 9, family #101: Thomas Nix (70), born in England, immigrated to Canada in 1840, occupation is a farmer; Elizabeth Nix (67), born in Ontario. The family lives on Main Street. Their religion is Methodist. The immigration date of 1840 is incorrect [a 70-year-old person in 1921 would not have been alive in 1840],

[11] Toronto Toronto Daily Star - March 5, 1930 - page 32 PEEL COUNTY MALTON COUPLE HOLDS GOLDEN WEDDING ANNIVERSAY Brampton, March 8 – Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Nix, a highly respected couple of Malton, quietly celebrated their golden wedding last night at their home in this village, where Mr. Nix has been living retired, after a long life spent actively on the farm. Only immediate friends and relatives were present for the observances of the anniversary. Mr. Nix is seventy-nine years of age and was born in England, son of the late William Nix. The family came to this country when Mr. Nix was a child and first settled in Etobicoke township. Mrs. Nix was Miss Elizabeth Ward before her marriage, daughter of the late Thomas Ward, one of the early settlers in East Chinguacousy. Mrs. Nix was born at Woodhill. The ceremony a half century ago was solemnized at the bride’s home in Woodhill. Mr. Nix for many years farmed at Stanley Mills and Grahamsville. All his married life has been spent in Peel county. The esteemed couple are members of Grahamsville United Church. There are two sons, Wilbert, seventh line, Toronto Gore, and Oscar, sixth line, Toronto Gore, and one daughter Mrs. Robert Wright, of Grahamsville. Three grandchildren were present for the celebration.

[12] 1931 census, Ontario, Peel 140, Toronto Township, pg 8, family #83: Thomas Nix (80), born in England, immigrated in 1858 [it was 1852]; Ann E. Nix (77), born in Ontario. They live in Malton in 7-room house worth $1,100. The occupation for Thomas looks like “farmer” but it then has been crossed out. The word “income” has been written over. They go to the United Church.

[13] Death: The Ontario Vital Statistics Project shows her death record (and gives her first name as "Annie". The Lois Knight Collection, at the Peel Heritage Complex, has a note about her death (the note indicates she was 84, but she was actually 80) at her daughter’s home. This source also notes that the cemetery is Riverside.

[14] Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/175986222/elizabeth_ann-nix: accessed March 30, 2024), memorial page for Elizabeth Ann Ward Nix (16 Jan 1854–23 Feb 1934), Find a Grave Memorial ID 175986222, citing Riverside Cemetery and Crematorium, Etobicoke, Toronto Municipality, Ontario, Canada; Maintained by Ruth Watkins (Pew) Jaynes (contributor 48360967).

Acknowledgements

This biography was written by Fred Nix in 2016 with a major re-write in March 2024. Fred is the great grandson of Ann Elizabeth and, for some years, was the guardian of her bible (it has since been passed over to Fred’s sister).